WE DO NOT ADOPT OUTSIDE OUR SERVICE AREA UNLESS NOTED ON THE DOG
- COASTAL is active in Virginia, North & South Carolina, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Delaware, and parts of south central Pennsylvania, NJ and eastern West Virginia. *We will adopt out of area for special needs dogs. We do not transport dogs for adoption so all adopters much come to dogs location.
HOW DO I APPLY TO ADOPT?
- Please read adoption section & additional adoption guideline before submitting an application. Please allow us 2 weeks to process your application. If you mail your application please email us to let us know.
- A home visit or Virtual Home visit is required ( Instructions for virtual visit are sent once we receive your application) most home visits are not done in person but by virtual due to Covid concerns.
- After your application has been reviewed and passed the vet reference check, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment to visit your family. All family members and anyone else living in the home MUST be present for this home visit.
- We will contact your personal and/or veterinarian references as part of the approval process.
How long will an approved application stay active?
- An approved application will remain active for 1 month. After this time, a new application must be submitted. If you move in that time frame new application and home visit is required.
- All animals in the home must be current on vaccinations, heartworm tests, and are on heartworm preventative all year long with no lapses. We do not require dogs to be on flea treatment but you must show us how you manage fleas in your home. We love natural alternatives for flea treatment.
- children in home must be no less than 3yrs old at time of applications 3 yrs old for a puppy who will be 20lbs or more full grown but under 6 months old at adoption.
- small dogs under 20lbs will require children to be no less than 5 yrs old at time of application.
- Single family homes with backyard chickens are not eligible to adopt if backyard is less than 1.5 acres or not fully fenced in away from dogs play area.
Finding the Right Dog
- When you contact a foster home about a particular dog, a telephone interview may be conducted, and then arrangements may be made for you to meet and discuss the dog in more detail.
- We suggest you look for a dog that matches your lifestyle and has the personality characteristics you desire, rather than limiting yourself to a particular gender and/or age.
- We evaluate the temperament, activity level, and needs of each dog to determine the most suitable type of adoptive home for the dog. Dogs are placed with the home that best meets the dog’s needs, NOT on a “first come, first served” basis.
- The final adoption decision is made by the foster home, based on COASTALS' guidelines and the assessment of the needs of the dog in question.
- It is not possible to estimate how long it will take for you to find “just the right COASTAL DOG,” but the broader the range you consider, the faster you will find a wonderful Coastal dog.
Vaccinations and spay/neuter
- All dogs are current on vaccinations, heartworm tests, and are on heartworm preventative.
- All dogs are spayed or neutered before being made available for adoption.
- Puppies less than 7 months old are adopted with vaccinations and vetting deemed appropriate for their age on a strictly enforced spay / neuter contract where the balance of necessary vetting and altering is at the Owners expense. Puppy pricing varies on a case by case basis and will be disclosed upon inquiry and prior to adoption.
Microchipping
- All dogs adopted from must be microchipped.
- If not microchipped prior to adoption, arrangements must be made within three months to meet with an available COASTAL microchip volunteer, or the dog can be brought to an adoption day, to have this done.
- The adoption will not be considered final until this requirement is met.
- The microchip is permanently registered to COASTAL so please let us know if any of your contact information changes.
The adoption fee
- The adoption fee must be paid at the time of adoption. ( 2023 we have updated our fees due to cost increase for vet care and general care of each dog)
- Fees are based on the age of the dog and help to offset the rising costs of medical care. Currently the average cost to Coastal is in excess of $750.00.
- For Sheltie's, Collies, full breed dogs or highly sought after mixes, Doodles.
- Puppies under 1 yr 700
- 1 yr to 18months old -$600
- 18 months to 5 years of age – $485
- 6 through 7 years of age – $450
- 8 to 10 years and older – $350
- 11 to 12 +years – $195
- For Mixed Breeds not listed above
- Less than 5 years of age – $485
- 5 through 7 – $450
- 7 through 9 years of age – $350
- 10 years and older – $195
Fees are subject to change please ask should you have questions.
*If at anytime in the adoption process you attempt to haggle or ask to lower the fee for the adoption price set for the dog you applied for or have been advised about you will no longer be eligible to adopt. If you are rude to any volunteer team member you will no longer be eligible to adopt.
All puppies have a spay/neuter deposit for adoption in additional to adoption fee of $100.00
If the puppy is fixed prior to adoption that fee will be added onto adoption costs.
Formalized training for some dogs
- Some dogs may be required to attend a formalized obedience class within 4 weeks of being adopted.
- If obedience training is required, a $50.00 course deposit must be paid at the time of adoption.
- When the obedience course has been completed, please send your Certificate of Completion to COASTAL, PO Box 56162, Virginia Beach, VA 23456. Please include the dog’s COASTAL ID number on the certificate. A refund of the deposit will be mailed to you.
OUR ONGOING SUPPORT FOR YOU AND YOUR COASTAL DOG
- We will contact you after your COASTAL dog has been adopted to ensure things are going smoothly with the new addition to your family. We will set up at least one in home follow up visit after the adoption process.
- We encourage you to get in touch with us at any time if you have questions or concerns about your rescued Coastal Fur Kid.
IS A RESCUED HERDING DOG THE RIGHT DOG FOR ME AND MY FAMILY?
Before you make the commitment to adopt a herding dog, we would like you to consider that owning a dog is a big responsibility and one that you should be prepared to honor for the life of the dog. The average life span is 12-14 years. Collies are large active dogs, weighing 60 to 90 pounds, and often display puppy-like behavior until they are 3 or more years old. Shelties' herd and bark at even butterflies. They are active family dogs who need attention, exercise, and training throughout most of their lives, but they are intelligent loving dogs who respond well to direction. All herding dogs shed and require regular grooming. You should be prepared to care for the needs of your dog throughout his or her life. You can expect to pay an average of $1500 yearly to give your Coastal Dog the proper care. This does not include the cost of a serious medical problem. An advantage in choosing to adopt a rescued dog is that you can be matched to a dog that fits your family’s lifestyle, and some dogs require much less attention than others. Many of our dogs are already well-trained and can easily transition to a new home. If you’re ready to adopt a COASTAL dog, the information on this page will guide you through the process.
*Adoption process changed due to Covid. We will be limiting in home visits and requiring virtual home visits in most cases.
The home visit whether it is in person or Virtual will be based on the dogs needs and the distance of potential adopter to foster home.
All potential adopters will need to wear a mask to do a meet and greet with a dog when one of our volunteers are present.
We meet in public parks to allow you step away with the dog and remove your mask when at a safe distance from are volunteers.
We do reserve the right to refuse adoption if you do not wear one, our volunteers safety come 1st.
You may be asked Covid Screening questions before the in person meeting as well.
Your Vaccine statues does not affect this requirement.